MIAMI (AP) -The Florida Marlins’ decade-long quest for a new stadium has cleared its final political hurdle.
Miami-Dade County commissioners late Monday approved the team’s plan to build a retractable-roof ballpark. It is expected to cost at least $515 million.
After a marathon nine-hour discussion, the county’s 13 commissioners approved the stadium on the site of the demolished Orange Bowl. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the stadium opening for the 2012 season.
The Marlins have won two World Series but could never persuade Florida politicians to help fund a new stadium. Since its first game in 1993, the team has shared a home with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
The 37,000-seat ballpark will be built near downtown Miami in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood.
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